The existence of the histamine H3 receptor has been known for several years and the receptor is of current interest for the development of new medicaments (see eg Stark, H.; Schlicker, E.; Schunack, W., Drugs Fut. 1996, 21, 507-520; Leurs, R.; Timmerman, H.; Vollinga, R. C., Progress in Drug Research 1995, 45, 107-165). Recently, the human histamine H3 receptor has been cloned, of Lovenberg, T. W. et al., Molecular Pharmacology, June 1999, 55, 1101-1107. The histamine H3 receptor is a presynaptic autoreceptor located both in the central and the peripheral nervous system, the skin and in organs such as the lung, the intestine, probably the spleen and the gastrointestinal tract. Recent evidence suggests that the H3 receptor show intrinsic, constitutive activity, in vitro as well as in vivo (ie it is active in the absence of an agonist; see eg Morisset et al., Nature 2000, 408, 860-864). Compounds acting as inverse agonists can inhibit this activity. The histamine H3 receptor has been demonstrated to regulate the release of histamine and also of other neurotransmitters such as serotonin and acetylcholine. A histamine H3 receptor antagonist or inverse agonist would therefore be expected to increase the release of these neurotransmitters in the brain. A histamine H3 receptor agonist, on the contrary, leads to an inhibition of the biosynthesis of histamine and an inhibition of the release of histamine and also of other neurotransmitters such as serotonin and acetylcholine. These findings suggest that histamine H3 receptor agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists could be important mediators of neuronal activity. Accordingly, the histamine H3 receptor is an important target for new therapeutics.
Piperidines similar to the compounds of the present invention have previously been prepared, and their biological properties have been investigated, cf U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,440, WO 01/44191, J. Comb. Chemical (2000), 2(3), 266-275, WO 96/29307, WO 95/00512 and GB 2000136.
However, these references neither disclose nor suggest that these substituted piperidines may have a histamine H3 receptor antagonistic or agonistic activity.
Several publications disclose the preparation and use of histamine H3 agonists and antagonists. Most of these are imidazole derivatives (see eg Stark et al., Drugs of the Future 1996, 21, 507-520; Tozer, Kalinddjian, Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2000, 10, 1045-1055). However, recently some imidazole-free ligands of the rat histamine H3 receptor have been described. Thus, Walczynski et al. (Arch. Pharm. Pharm. Med. Chem. 1999, 332, 389-398), Linney et al. (J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 2362-2370), Ganellin et al. (Arch. Pharm. Pharm. Med. Chem. 1998, 331, 395-404), Walczynski et al. (II Farmaco 1999, 54, 684-694), Kalindjian et al. (WO 99/42458), Schwartz et al. (EP 0 978 512), and Ludwig et al. (WO 97/17345) disclose cyclic amines having rat histamine H3 receptor agonistic or antagonistic activity. However, the structures of these amines are quite different from that of the present compounds. Thus, none of the amines disclosed in these publications contain a piperidine structure, as is the case in the present compounds.
In view of the art's interest in histamine H3 receptor agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists, novel compounds which interact with the histamine H3 receptor would be a highly desirable contribution to the art. The present invention provides such a contribution to the art being based on the finding that a novel class of substituted piperidines has a high and specific affinity to the histamine H3 receptor.
Due to their interaction with the histamine H3 receptor, the present compounds are useful in the treatment and/or prevention of a wide range of conditions and disorders in which an interaction with the histamine H3 receptor is beneficial. Thus, the compounds may find use eg in the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the pulmonary system, the gastrointestinal system and the endocrinological system.